Among the "amazing” 100 individuals who qualified for the World of Difference Award in 2013 is Pervin Todiwala, co-founder and operations director of London based Pan-Asian restaurants Café Spice Namaste, Mr Todiwala’s Kitchen and The Park Café. This award instituted six years ago by The International Alliance for Women (TIAW) "recognizes women and men who advance the economic empowerment of women, whether on a small scale in the developing world, or effecting change in the boardrooms of the business capitals of the world… The awards celebrate the inspiring, courageous, tenacious and creative achievements of the extraordinary champions of women’s economic advancement,” as notes the TIAW website.
Whilst Todiwala is the first full-time restaurateur to feature among entrepreneurs who "make all the difference in the world,” others were recognized for their contribution to community service, public service/government, education, corporate life, non-profit/NGOs. All of them will be conferred the honor at the Global Forum and World of Difference Gala in Washington DC in the spring of 2014. Last year Dr Zenobia Nadirshaw was among the recipients of this Award.
The restaurants Mr Todiwala’s Kitchen and Café Spice Namaste
"To be named alongside such remarkable, accomplished women is a real honor,” said Todiwala, adding, "I have never let being a woman from a traditional society stop me from working towards my dreams of starting and running a successful restaurant business… In many ways women like me had to create our own opportunities, although we must be careful never to forget those who supported us along the way. There are a great number of fantastic women in the hospitality and catering industry who operate below the radar. I must thank TIAW for recognizing me and my industry in this way which can only help to raise further the profile of women achievers in our great, global industry.”
A resident of London for the last 22 years, Pervin with husband Cyrus Todiwala first took over the ailing Namaste restaurant in East London. While Cyrus kept busy expanding his culinary reputation, Pervin looked after the restaurant’s finances and management although she too is a trained chef who graduated with honors from Bombay’s Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition. Ten years ago the couple bought out their partners at the restaurant Café Spice Namaste, and have since been steadily expanding the family’s various food businesses. This year at the Asian Business Awards Café Spice Namaste was named Asian Restaurant Business of the Year. Yet another honor came to Cyrus in 2013 when he won the Craft Guild of Chefs Chairman’s Award.
Barring a brief stint when she was preoccupied with raising her sons Jamsheed and Hormuzd, Pervin has been the backbone for Cyrus in all his culinary entrepreneurial endeavors. With her past experience as a chef de partie and assistant manager at the Taj Group of Hotels, Pervin’s marketing savvy has seen their businesses rise in popularity, whether it is their restaurants or their outdoor catering and mobile trailer service, their handmade condiments under the brand of Mr Todiwala’s Splendidly Spicy Pickles and Chutneys, or the Khaadraas (Greedy Gourmand) Club through which the Todiwalas have showcased their Parsi culinary heritage to wider audiences.
Among the other recognitions Pervin has won are the Best Front House at the British Curry Awards as also Woman on Top by Tandoori Magazine. In 2013 she was made an honorary dame by Les Dames d’Escoffier, a worldwide philanthropic society of professional women leaders in the food and hospitality sector. As a member of the Asian Restaurant Skills Board she encourages young talent to choose a career in Asian cuisine and additionally serves as Enterprise Champion of LeSoCo (former Lewisham College). Among the social welfare causes she has supported over the years are Learning for Life, providing children’s education, health care and women’s empowerment in South Asia, Action Against Hunger, Chefs Adopt a School program of the Royal Academy of Culinary Art and the Curry for Change campaign of the charity Find Your Feet, as notes a press release.
Whilst the Todiwalas complement each other in their division of responsibilities, Cyrus’ respect for his wife’s decisions is reflected on the website of Mr Todiwala’s Kitchen which states, "Before Cyrus agrees to anything, he always asks you to ‘Ask the Boss’… And do you wonder why?”